Available
The main hall of the General Library building of the University of Coimbra is the so-called Sala de São Pedro and the place where most of its bibliographic exhibitions are held. Lined with shelves and furniture from the 18th century, it contains around eight thousand volumes on Theology, Philosophy, History and Humanities.
Among the 22 university colleges existing in Coimbra until 1834, there was the Real Colégio de São Pedro, created in 1545 by the canon lawyer Rui Lopes de Carvalho and installed, since 1572, next to the Paço da Alcáçova. The College was extinguished in 1834. Unlike what happened to others, its library, with items from the 16th to the 19th centuries, was preserved intact given that it had been used by the Royal Family and the Rector.
In 1917, the University Senate handed over this library to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and all of its collections were transferred to a designated room.
In 1950, when the Faculty of Arts and Humanities moved to the current building, it was decided that the library of Colégio de S. Pedro should remain in the same place, under the care of the General Library. Manuel Lopes de Almeida was then the Director of the General Library.